Latvia is a beautiful country. Not only are the people friendly and the food is great, the overall impression is one of bountiful nature. With beaches, forests and lots of green pastures I got the feeling that it is an amazing country. It is also a European country and one should think that there is nothing new to learn here. So not true, I noticed a couple of differences and learned something about myself as well. Yours, Pollybert
1.) Even bus drivers speak English, so amazing!
2.) Cars are blocked from pedestrian streets by bicycle racks. That does make a lot of sense!
2.) A lot of public buses have wi-fi. Wow, in Austria we are far away from this kind of progress.
3.) ATMs give out money first and your card later. In Austria it is the other way around.
4.) The Latvians are definitely Nordic and not Eastern Europeans. This is noticeable through their openness as well as their food.
5.) Not sure why but rain gutters get locked in behind a little fence.
6.) The cities are very clean. Garbage bins are on every corner and there is not a lot of stuff on the street.
7.) Long distance buses leave exactly on time. Love the German punctuality (maybe a leftover from the years with the Hanse).
8.) I am not made for the northern summer swimming season. I managed to stay in my bikini for exactly 10 minutes before putting on a shirt and covering myself with an extra towel. But at least this time I was wearing one.
9.) The long summer days up north are fantastic. Nothing beats a late sunset when there still so much sightseeing to do.
10.) Check if your quiet hostel is located next to a loud bar before you book.
11.) There is still so much to learn about so many topics like the Jews in Latvia. I definitely need to educate myself a lot more.
12.) I saw an outlet for alcohol in Riga. What does that even mean? That the alcohol is watered down?
12.) Taking your time while getting to know a new country is the key. Give yourself time to discover a place. I loved that I wasn’t rushed and hadn’t planned too much on what to see and where to go. Because of this felt like a short road trip and reminded me a lot about my trip in 2015.